Letting Go
by Jakia
Summary: This is just like that time with the penguin, isn't it? Zuko's not a penguin. A brother learns to let go. [zutara, based on fanart]


_Based on fanart as seen on the katarazuko lj community. Link there is in my profile.Makes more sense if you've seenthe art.(oh, the things I do to get fanart...)_

**Letting Go**

The day had started out so _well_ for Sokka, too.

It was a nice, quiet spring day in the middle of Earth country. Lush green trees surrounded them, filled with singing birdfish and chipper squirreldogs who were in complete and utter bliss, happily ignoring the world around them. Aang and Toph had taken off to practice earthbending, a skill the young Avatar had just barely mastered and severely needed more work on. While they were away, Sokka and Iroh had taken it upon themselves to start dinner (they couldn't find Katara, or else they would have made her), so Sokka took up his trusty club and began to look for some sort of critter (preferably something bigger than a squirreldog, but he would take that if nothing else) that could be used in the stew Iroh was making.

That was how he found them, entangled in one another's arms, doing nothing more than enjoying one another's presence.

At first he had not noticed them, for Zuko's green and black robes allowed him to blend in naturally with the forest environment, and Sokka was a little more preoccupied with his humming, but it took one glance at Katara's blue robes for him to stop.

His mouth gapped open.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!" He screamed, the pair in question jumping apart, blushing like mad. Without giving them time to react further, Sokka busted in and grabbed his sweet and innocent baby sister's hand, pulling her away from that evil Fire bastard.

"Sokka, wait!" She cried out as he pulled her. "Sokka, let me explain!"

"You don't need to!" He yelled, a thousand obscenities escaping his lips. "I have eyes, you know. Just what do you think you're doing with him!"

She looked at her brother pleadingly. "Sokka, I love him."

He hit his forehead with his palm, waving his hand at his sister, attempting to get her to stop. "No, no you don't. Zuko's from the _Fire Nation,_ Katara. Hell, he's the Fire Lord's son! What makes you think for one minute—"

But Katara was quicker. "Zuko's not his father!" She argued, trembling with rage. "Honestly, Sokka, why do you overact to everything? This is just like that time with the penguin!"

"ZUKO'S NOT A PENGUIN!" He screamed. Out of the corner of his eye he could see the Fire Prince in question, staring at them in confusion. (_Penguin?…)_ "This is something completely different!"

"No it's not." Katara stared him down. "You were overacting then and you are overacting now." She looked down quietly. "Zuko's not like his father, Sokka. He wouldn't be traveling with us, helping Aang learn firebending if he was."

He looked over at her and noticed (with a hint of reluctance) that she was crying.

…

Crap. She was right. It _was_ just like the time with the penguin.

He sighed pathetically. He never really could deny Katara anything (he doubted any sane person could) once she turned on those big, puppy-dog eyes.

He pointed towards Zuko. "Go get him, he's yours."

Her eyes were watery as she smiled. "Really?"

_I hate my life._ "Yes, you can—" What was the right word for this. "_Be_ together."

But Katara was not listening, as she was already running towards Zuko's open arms. (_"How am I like a penguin?" "Shut up, Zuko.")_

Around that time, Aang, Iroh, and Toph wandered over to where the couple plus Sokka were at, having been drawn there from the noise of the argument.

Aang walked up to him, tentatively. "It's okay, Sokka. She'll be alright."

Iroh was beside him. "My nephew is an honorable young man. He won't do anything wrong, I promise." The old man gave a humored chuckle at Sokka's sigh as he watched them from a distance. Toph merely stayed in the background, smirking knowingly towards Zuko and Katara as if to say "I called it first!".

_Being a big brother,_ Sokka thought, feeling sort of heartbroken at the moment. _Means knowing when to protect, _he watched Katara's elated joy as she snuggled deeper into Zuko's arms ("Penguin. Please explain the penguin thing to me. _Please_.") _and when to let go._

Right now, he decided, he was learning to let go.

And he wouldn't be surprised if it killed him.

XXX  
END

_no, I'm not procastinating and avoiding writing the last chapter of Kiss THIS, not at all, why do you ask... :whistle:_


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